


When Winter Comes

by OneMoreNight1996 (orphan_account)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU Post 8x03, Daenerys Targaryen Is Not a Mad Queen, F/M, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unplanned Pregnancy, gendry doesn't propose like he did, some smut, stuck in the north, winter is here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:09:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23062990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/OneMoreNight1996
Summary: Winter sets in after the Long Night is over leaving everyone stuck in Winterfell and unable to go south. This causes some tension within the group as secrets are revealed and promises are made.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark/Podrick Payne (Minor/Background)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

After the dead had been defeated, snow had began to fall heavy and thick from the sky and had still not let up a fortnight later. People had gone out to build pyres to burn the bodies and come in half frozen and covered in snow but eventually it had been finished and they'd said goodbye to their fallen. The snow however, made it impossible to travel anywhere let alone move an army to the south, much to the displeasure of the Dragon Queen, but there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Winter had set in fully in the north and there'd be no leaving Winterfell for some time. Arya had thought, like many others, that defeating the Night King would make the winter short and mild but they'd obviously all been wrong about that. 

With everyone being cooped up in the castle, tensions were running high, and she'd seen more than a couple of spats having to be broken up. She could tell Sansa and Jon were both becoming rapidly annoyed by it but they handled it with more grace than she ever thought she'd be able to manage. Bran spent less time outside by the weirwood tree now that the temperature had dropped and he even seemed to slowly be coming back to himself instead of remaining the stoic shell he had been since she'd been home. She was glad to see bits of her little brother poking through the mask and she knew everyone else was as well, it made his stare much less unnerving. Arya spent most of her time avoiding the grand hall because every time people saw her they'd start cheering the hero of Winterfell crap that made her want to hit someone and, as a result, she hadn't seen Gendry since the night before the battle.

Well she'd seen him but he hadn't seen her and they hadn't spoken to one another since they'd hastily pulled their clothes back on and rushed out of the store room when the horn had started blaring. Arya had been sure she was going to die so she'd gone to him, the one man she still trusted, to see what all of it was about while she had the chance. She still couldn't quite admit to herself that there'd been another reason she chose him specifically but since they hadn't spoken, she could go on ignoring the feeling in her chest that she'd gotten whenever she'd seen him ride into Winterfell with Jon.

She was currently hiding away in that very same storeroom shooting arrows at the wall in a way reminiscent of the night they'd laid together. She knew what her sister would say if she knew about it and she knew what Jon's reaction would likely be, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it. She'd wanted to give herself one night to choose life after years of choosing death instead just to know what it was like, to see if she could feel things like she used to instead of locking it all away, and she had. The problem was, she'd thought she was going to die so breaking down the wall between her and her emotions hadn't seemed like such a big deal but now that she'd lived, she couldn't shove them all back in no matter how hard she tried.

That was another reason she was avoiding everyone, even her own family, because she wasn't sure how to process things. She'd pushed her emotions away at such a young age that she was afraid that her emotional growth was a bit stunted now and she wasn't sure how to fix it. Until she did, she didn't want to face them. She's was almost afraid she start crying or something equally embarrassing if she let herself truly feel the immense love she had for her family now that it wasn't kept at a safe distance like it had been. Best to avoid all of it.

She was so lost in thought that she almost missed the sound of footsteps coming toward the room. She forced herself not to turn around even when she heard the footsteps pause in the doorway, instead she just knocked another arrow and sent it flying into the makeshift target with a thump. She knew exactly who was behind her by the sound of his breathing so she waited for him to speak first rather than breaking the silence herself. She kept the tension she was feeling from showing in her body as she continued her routine.

"I haven't seen you since the battle." He said quietly.

"That was deliberate." She said and his small intake of breath made her immediately realize exactly what she'd said and she closed her eyes for a moment before she shook her head and turned to look at him, leaning the bow against a box as she did. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I've been avoiding everyone, not just you."

"Why?" He asked. His hands were clasped behind his back as he studied her face and she knew he was trying to read the answer there but even though she'd been reconnected with her emotions, she still knew how to school her face so that it told nothing of how she was feeling.

"I hate the attention, the way they look at me." She shrugged. "They call me a hero. I'm not really."

"You are to them." He said simply. "If you hadn't killed the Night King, many of them might be dead along with their friends."

"To them?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "Am I not a hero to you then?"

"Of course, but you just said you don't like to be called a hero so I figured I'd refrain." He said, giving her a smile. She rolled her eyes, finding it easy to fall into their old banter despite it being years since they'd really had time to talk.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked seriously. He nodded. "Why did you come here? To Winterfell I mean."

"Jon asked me to." He said, hesitation clear in his voice. She shook her head.

"I meant before that. You decided to follow Jon." She clarified. "You went beyond the wall with him on what was probably a suicide mission, you called him king, you agreed to fight for him. Why?"

"Because of you." He said and she read the truth of his words on his face. His answer only confused her more.

"Because of me?" She asked. "What does that mean?"

"You asked me once, a long time ago, to come here with you. You ask me to follow your brother Robb." He blew out a long breath as he leaned against the wall and looked at her seriously. "I was a stubborn bastard blacksmith and you were a lady and I knew if we came here, our friendship never would have been allowed to continue, so I refused when you asked. I thought I was doing the right thing. Then the Brotherhood sold me to the Red Woman and she took me away."

"Okay. I still don't see why you came here." She said. He gave her a look that told her to be quiet without him saying the words.

"I told you why she took me, I doesn't really matter now, but when I escaped from her I went back to King's Landing." He explained. "I knew then why the Gold Cloaks had wanted me but they thought I was already dead so they wouldn't be looking for me. The first thing I heard when I finally made it back to shore was about the Red Wedding, about how everyone there had been killed, and I knew that the Brotherhood had planned on selling you back to your brother." He looked up and when their eyes met she could see the pain in his. "I thought you were dead and I thought it was my fault."

She opened her mouth to say something, to tell him he was wrong, but he held up a hand and shook his head slightly. She sighed but kept silent as he continued speaking.

"I worked in King's Landing for a few years until Ser Davos came to get me." He said. "I didn't ask many questions until we were already rowing away from the capitol, I hated working there and armoring Lannister soldiers anyway, but then he mentioned Jon's name. I knew he was your brother because you'd spoken about him before and it was then that I decided that no matter what it was he needed, I'd do it. I'd failed to help your brother once when you asked, and in my mind it was my fault you'd died, so I vowed to help this brother no matter the cost. I thought it would make up for everything if I could keep your favorite brother safe, I thought it was the least I could do."

"Did you tell Jon that?" She asked, her voice soft. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about everything he'd just revealed to her so she tried to distract herself from it.

"I never even mentioned your name." He admitted. "I told him I wanted to help because our fathers were friends and I hoped we could be too. I wasn't a complete lie and I do think of him as a friend but it was all for you. I didn't mention you because I didn't want to have to explain to him what had happened and have him blame me as much as I blamed myself."

"He wouldn't have." She said, sure in her statement. He shrugged and she could tell just by the way that his face twitched slightly that he didn't believe her.

"No one mentioned you even though Beric, Thoros and The Hound were all there. I think no one wanted to speak about it with Jon. None of us wanted him to know we'd failed his little sister." He said quietly before a small laugh fell from his lips as he looked at her. "Imagine my surprise when I showed up here and heard you were alive and well."

"You know it wasn't your fault right?" She asked, deciding to address the part of his story that bothered her the most. "Everything that happened to me after you were gone, it wasn't your fault."

"If I'd have agreed. If I had left the Brotherhood when you asked me to, things would have been different." He said.

"Maybe but it still wasn't on you." She said, stepping closer to him so that he was forced to meet her eyes. "Everything that happened, to both of us, was largely due to the choices of other more powerful people around us. I don't want you to blame yourself any longer. You're here, I'm here, we made it, that's what I want you to focus on. Let's not dwell on the past anymore, okay?"

"Okay." He said, his voice soft as he slowly reached out to her. His hands landed on her hips and he pulled her to him gently, sliding his arms around her back to hold her. "I'll try."

She figured it was the best she was going to get and right now, her mind had other things to think about. It was like her mind suddenly flipped completely and the emotion she was trying to shove back slammed through as she looked at him. He was warm, just like he always had been, like he carried a bit of the warmth of a forge with him wherever he went. They hadn't been this close to one another since the night they'd laid together and now she suddenly couldn't focus on anything else but his eyes staring into her. Her eyes flickered to his lips and that seemed to be the only invitation he needed.

He kissed her suddenly but it wasn't frantic and rushed like it had been the last time they'd done this. No, this time he seemed to be taking his time with it and exploring her mouth thoroughly with his tongue. She made a soft sound as his teeth nibbled her bottom lip lightly sending tingles down her spine as a heat began to build low in her belly. All too soon, he pulled away from her and she made a noise of protest that made him laugh. She was almost sure she was pouting but she couldn't help it.

"This is probably not the best place for this." He said. "Anyone could walk in."

"So." She rolled her eyes. "Didn't seem to bother you last time."

"Last time, you ambushed me and didn't give me a moment to think." He said with something akin to fondness on his face. "And besides that people were getting ready for a battle so I didn't think they'd care all that much if they had seen us. Now though, your brother might hang me if he found out I'd been putting my hands all over you."

"I wouldn't let Jon hurt you." She said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I hear you're a lord now. He'd probably still protest us laying together but I doubt he'd kill you for it."

"That's not reassuring." He said but he had a grin on his face. "And anyway, those damn sacks of grain aren't the most comfortable."

"Aw, does the little lordling need a featherbed?" She teased and he pushed her away playfully.

"Great, you're still a pain in the ass." He said. "Good to know."

"We've slept on far worse than those grain sacks." She said, reaching out to grab his hand. "But if you're really going to complain about it, then come on."

She started pulling him out of the room and he followed without protest, allowing her to pull him behind her.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"My chambers." She threw over her shoulder and was brought to an abrupt stop when he pulled her hand. She turned to see him looking at her with wide eyes.

"You know I wasn't kidding about Jon." He said. "He might not kill me but if he finds me in your chambers, he's going to geld me."

"He will not." She said, exasperated. "I don't tell him who he can have in his bed so he can mind his own damn business. Now come on."

She gave a yank and he began following her again, albeit at a much slower pace.

"Is that what you're doing then?" He asked. "Taking me to bed?"

"Are you protesting?" She asked as they finally reach her door and she pulled him inside before locking the bar over it and turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Because I'm sure I could find someone else if you're unwilling. I hear Podrick is quite good at it."

He gave a soft growl as he pushed her back against the door and kissed her fiercely. "Don't even jape. I might kill the boy with my bare hands."

"Really?" She teased as he began to trail kisses down the side of her neck. "You'd kill him just for being in my bed."

He bit into the spot where her neck and shoulder met making her suck in a sharp breath as his hands roamed over her sides.

"Definitely." He said, looking at her with his eyes dark with lust before he kissed her again. "Only I'm allowed to warm your bed m'lady."

"Call me that again and I'll be the one to geld you." She said but the effect was lost as her voice came out breathy and light due to his wondering mouth on her skin. He huffed out a laugh, his breath warm against her skin, as he surprised her by lifting her off her feet and turning to drop her onto her bed.

"As you wish, m'lady."

She wished the smirk on his face wasn't as sexy as it was. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is smut at the beginning of this chapter. If you do not want to read it, I will put a line before the next part so you can skip it.

He yanked his tunic over his head as she sat up on her elbows to look at him with a raised eyebrow. When they'd done this before he'd let her be in charge of the whole thing even though she knew he was stronger than her and could have easily taken control and she kind of wanted him to. He moved toward her slowly as if he was waiting for her to change her mind but when she didn't protest, he yanked her tunic over her head in much the same fashion as he had his own before crawling over her on the bed.

He kissed her slowly at first, almost like he was afraid she was going to push him away, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss he seemed to let go of whatever hesitation he was feeling as he sank into it. She felt one of his hands roaming along her side as he used the other to prop himself up as they kissed and she gasped into his mouth when his thumb brushed over her nipple lightly. Her entire body felt warm and every touch of his skin on hers sent tingles down her spine.

His mouth left hers to wonder down the side of her neck and she felt his teeth graze her skin lightly as he did. She was breathing heavily as if she'd been training but it was just breathlessness from their kisses and his lips on her skin, causing her chest to rise and fall rapidly. He quickly moved on from her neck, trailing kisses down her body until he reached her breasts. His tongue circled one nipple then the other and back again making her back arch as a soft whimper fell from her lips. She'd never felt so sensitive as when he was touching her. He gave her breasts ample attention, spending time on each one, driving her a little crazy as he did before he seemed to deem it appropriate to move on. 

His lips kept trailing further down her body and she felt him physically hesitate when he came to the scars along her side. He pressed kisses along the length of each one before his eyes rolled up to meet hers and she could see the concern in them even when he didn't voice it.

"I'll tell you about them one day." She said quietly, not wanting to ruin their time together with the story of how she'd gotten them. He seemed to understand because he nodded.

"Okay." He said simply before going back to his task of seemingly kissing every part of her body.

He stopped when he got to the edge of her breeches and he moved back slightly to pull her boots off her feet before bringing his hands up to loosen the laces. He looked at her again, a question in his eyes as his hands stilled against her, and she nodded. He took her at her word and pulled them down her legs along with her smallclothes leaving her completely bare to him. His eyes trailed over her slowly, taking everything in, and she almost wanted to cover herself regardless of the fact that he'd already seen it all before. She felt strangely self conscious in a way she hadn't really felt before but before she could do anything to act on her thoughts, his eyes snapped to her face and she could see the look of surprise and awe in them.

"Gods, you're beautiful." He said before kissing her thoroughly. She returned the kiss with enthusiasm, all thoughts of covering herself chased away by the tone in his voice that let her know he wasn't lying. He truly believed her to be beautiful, scars and all.

When he pulled out of the kiss, he slid back down the bed once more and knelt in between her legs. She watched him curiously as he pressed kisses along her thighs until he pushed them further apart, leaving her open and exposed to him, making her wonder just what he was doing. She opened her mouth, ready to ask him, moments before his tongue touched her _there_ and stole the words from her lips. A surprised gasp made itself known as sensations flooded her body.

She felt his tongue moving quickly, circling the small nub situated at the very top of her, and she was almost certain she couldn't tell you her own name in that moment. Small moans of pleasure began making their way from her mouth as her hips bucked almost involuntarily until his hands came to rest on them and kept her in place. His tongue dipped into her and her hands tightened on the sheets below her as she bit her lip in an attempt to keep the sounds she was making in. 

One of his hands left her hip as his mouth moved back to that nub. He began sucking on it softly as she felt one of his fingers slip into her and she breathed out a soft moan. He pumped his finger in and out of her as he rolled his tongue around that one spot that was making her want to scream as the pleasure built low in her belly and she felt him add a second one not long after. She felt herself stretch to accommodate his fingers and she ground her hips into him as best she could with his one hand still keeping her in place. He crooked his fingers inside of her and hit a spot that made her mind go fuzzy for a moment.

" _Fuck._ " She breathed out the word on a moan. He made a sound that was almost a laugh and when she glanced down at him, he was looking at her with eyes filled with mirth. She would have rolled her eyes at him but the building pressure low in her belly exploded over her in that moment and her head pushed back into the bed as her eyes closed and a high pitched sound she was almost sure she'd never made before fell from her lips. Her entire body felt like it was tingling as her toes curled and the sheets were wrapped tight in her hands.

She felt him moving and forced her eyes open even as her body still trembled. He was above her once more and she yanked him down into a rough kiss to which he willingly complied. She could taste herself on his tongue but found that she didn't mind it all that much. Her hands ran along his chest until they reached his breeches and she blindly pulled on the laces until she forced them loose before she began pushing at them. He pulled away from her to help pull them off, dropping them along with his boots, onto the pile on the floor. She pulled him in again as soon as he was bare and wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt him slide against her, hard and ready, and she rolled her hips while making a needy sound that she'd never admit to in other circumstances. He smirked down at her.

"Still impatient I see." He teased. She glared at him halfheartedly.

"Are you going to fuck me or not?" She asked, though her voice sounded less demanding and more pleading.

"You know, you have quite a mouth for a lady." He said, even as he reached between them to line himself up with her entrance.

"You don't seem to mind all that much." She retorted. He shrugged.

"I like a lady with a little fire." He said. 

He pushed into her and they both breathed out a soft sigh. Her hands moved around to hold onto his shoulders as he began rocking his hips into her slowly, seeming hesitant at first, and she kissed him again before pulling back to meet his eyes.

"You're not going to break me." She said quietly, running a hand along the side of his face. "It's okay."

"I don't want to hurt you." He said. He'd stopped his movements entirely, even as he was buried deep inside her. She smiled at him.

"You won't." She assured him. "If it hurts, I'll tell you to stop."

"You're sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure." She said. "This isn't the first time we've done this remember. I'm okay, I promise."

"Okay." He answered.

He kissed her hard, his teeth biting into her lip as his hips began snapping forward. Her nails dug into his back where she'd moved them and her breath came in puffs with each thrust of his hips. Their kisses were rough and messy as their bodies met again and again and moans came from low in her throat. She lifted her hips to meet each thrust, their bodies moving in tandem as they chased that high.

Every couple of thrusts ran him against a spot deep inside her that sent waves of pleasure up her spine and made her feel almost frantic with the need to hold him there against that spot until her body was shaking with release, so she tightened her legs around his hips forcing him to slow down. He took the non verbal order easily, slowing his pace and making his thrust deeper which in turn made him hit that spot every time he moved. She pulled out of their kiss as she breathed heavily and moans came unbidden to her lips. 

She rocked her hips against him savoring the spikes of pleasure from that spot deep inside her and her nails dug into his skin as she felt the pressure building low in her belly once again. Her breath began coming in gasps and she knew she was close to a release, she just needed a little nudge to get over the edge. She gave a needy whimper that seemed to tell him what she needed as he reached between them and she felt his fingers moving against that magical nub as he kept thrusting hard and deep into her and it only took another minute for her to be flung over the edge.

Her back arched as a low keening noise fell from her lips and she saw stars behind her eyelids. She felt him thrust a few more times before he pulled away from her completely. The movement made her open her eyes even as she still basked in the afterglow and she watched him run his hand over himself a few times before he spilled his release. She saw him snag the cloth hanging next to her bed to wipe his hands before he came back to her. He kissed her softly, a contrast to everything that had just happened and she pulled him down onto the bed with her.

"Stay." She said softly.

"But Jon - " He said and she placed her hand over his mouth.

"Don't worry. The door's locked." She said. "Please stay."

"As you wish, m'lady." He said, placing a kiss on her forehead. She huffed a laugh but didn't protest this time. Instead she drew the furs up over them and kissed him again.

* * *

For the next moons pass Arya found something to occupy her time. People finally stopped cheering her on when she cam into a room and, after many protest from her, stopped calling her a hero. To her face at least. Her days were spent training anyone who wanted to, men and women alike and even some of the children who'd been orphaned by the war and were being fostered at Winterfell until they could figure out someplace for them. Her nights were spent with Gendry, more often than not in her chambers, but there were times she'd come to him in the forge and they'd end up in the small room in the back where there was a small cot meant for the smith but was never used. Gendry had his own chambers in the castle on account of now being a recognized lord but she'd never been inside it and he rarely spent time there himself.

The snow had finally went from a downpour to just a light dusting on top of the rest so Sansa had began to send hunting parties out beyond the walls to bring back meat for the stores. After the battle, their numbers had been so decimated that on recalculation of the food stores they had plenty more than enough. On top of that, some of the northern lords had decided to brave the snow and make their way back to their own castles and holdfasts for the winter so they didn't have to worry so much about it. Still, Sansa wanted to have extra just in case. 

The Dragon Queen was unhappy about the lords leaving Winterfell, insisting that they'd all made a promise to fight for her to help her win the Iron Throne but even she had to eventually admit that there was no way they could march south right now. The lords had promised to send their men when the time came that they could and that was good enough for her to allow them to leave. Winterfell was much emptier than it had been in years.

Jon had also shared the secret of his true parentage with her, Sansa and Bran, who already knew thanks to his visions, but made them promise not to tell anyone until he and the Queen decided what they wanted to do about it. She was almost ready to tell them to marry and unite their claims, and would if this went on for too long, but she was staying out of it for now to allow them the chance to work it out themselves. She knew they loved each other, could see it even when they were fighting, so she hoped they'd work it out without her intervention. 

Ser Brienne and even Ser Jaime had taken to helping her with the training, which she appreciated because both had valuable input, and she found that training the people who'd come to her was nice. It made her feel like she had a purpose beyond killing and even though her list was still not complete, it didn't nag at her mind as much as it had in recent years. She wondered if when she'd decided to choose life the night before the battle, she'd made the subconscious decision to leave the list behind and embrace a new life. She wasn't entirely sure yet, she might wake up any day with the urge to run, to complete her list even if it killed her, but she hadn't yet so she took it one day at a time.

Gendry worked in the forge during the day, making hinges and nails for repairs now that the need for weapons were less, but some days he finished early and would come to find her where she was training. She'd taken to training people in a large empty room in the middle of the castle that used to be where she and Sansa would have lessons due to it being to cold and slick from snow outside to properly train. As a result of his tendency to hover around the edges of the training room, he'd seen her sparring with Pod more than once and it never failed to make him horrendously jealous. She found his pouting hilarious and mocked him for it every time until he slammed her into the nearest surface and had his way with her. She never complained much about it, even when he left marks on her skin and called her _his_.

She always thought she'd hate any man calling her his because it made her feel like property but somehow when Gendry said it, it didn't feel like that at all. It felt like a promise, like she belonged to him but not in a bad way. It felt almost like a pack, she was his in that kind of way and she liked it, liked knowing she belonged to him in the same way that he belonged to her. The feeling in her chest every time she saw him was dangerously close to love and she could see the same feeling in his eyes when he looked at her, and though neither of them had said it yet, it sat between them unacknowledged but known by both of them. She wondered sometimes what it would be like to be able to claim him as hers in front of everyone instead of hiding it away in her chambers, but those were dangerous thoughts filled with implications and expectations, so she pushed them away and held onto him tighter in the night. Sometimes it scared her how much she cared about him.


	3. Chapter 3

Arya hadn't expected to be summoned by the queen but nevertheless she went along willingly. The last thing she wanted to do was offend someone who could easily feed her to a dragon. The men standing guard outside her chambers announced Arya before quickly allowing her into the room where the Dragon Queen sat at a table with her handmaiden, Tyrion Lannister and Varys scattered around the room.

"The hero of Winterfell." She called out in greeting and Arya tried not to wince at the name.

"I'm not." The words were out before she could stop them.

"Not what?" The Queen asked, her brows furrowing.

"A hero. I was only doing what I had to to protect my family and my home." Arya said before repeating. "I'm not a hero."

"I disagree, none of us would be here if it weren't for you, but if you insist I'll refrain from calling you so." She said. Arya bit her lip as she glanced at the others in the room.

"May I ask what it is I'm here for?" She asked cautiously. 

"I wanted to discuss something with you." She said before she glanced at the others. "Leave us."

Everyone filed out of the room with no protest, though she did notice both Tyrion and Varys looking at them in curiosity, and the door closed firmly behind them leaving her alone in the room with the Queen. 

"I assume that Jon told you." She said suddenly, her eyes studying Arya's face.

"Yes he did, your grace." She answered.

"Surly you understand what it means." The Queen said. 

"It means he has a claim on the Iron Throne, a better one that you even." Arya stated. "But he doesn't want it. He swore his allegiance to you, he will not break that."

"You really think that will matter?" She asked. "If this gets out, the people will rally around him. They'll try to put him on the throne regardless of what he wants and he may start to see their side. Men crave power, it is a simple fact, especially if they think they are entitled to it."

"My brother would never betray you even if he does technically have a better claim than you and if people try to put him on the throne ahead of you, he will tell them that he doesn't want it. He will abdicate and bend the knee to you as many times as it take to convince them to follow you." Arya said seriously.

"You sound sure of that." The queen said. 

"I am." Arya told her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because he believes in you." Arya said simply. "And more than that, he loves you. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you and in yours when you look at him. He is, above all things, loyal. Some would say to a fault. He bent the knee and called you queen, he will not go back on that no matter the circumstances. You have nothing to fear from him, your grace, I assure you."

"I've spoken to your brother about this at length." She said. "He told me the same thing and I am inclined to believe it. He told me of what it was like to be a bastard in the world, to carry the name Snow and have everyone you meet know what you are immediately and judge you for it. You're right in thinking I love him because I truly do but love sometimes makes you do stupid things." 

"It does." Arya agreed, not quite sure where this conversation was going.

"I need to believe that what I want to do isn't going to end up being stupid. I need to believe that he won't betray me." She said, her eyes coming up to meet Arya's. "And now speaking to you, I realize that I do trust him and so I want to do something for him. I want to give him a true name so that the world will know the truth of his birth and he will never be called a bastard again. Do you think he would allow me to do that?"

"You should speak to him about it, your grace." Arya said. "But I'm telling you now, even if you do that, he's never going to go by Aegon. He'll likely take the Targaryen name if you allow him to but I don't think he'll give up the name Jon. It's the name our father gave him, the one he's carried all his life, he won't easily part with it."

"That's fine. I don't think I could call him anything other than Jon at this point either." She laughed softly before she seemed to get serious again as she studied Arya. "You still think of him as your brother."

"He is my brother. He'll always be my brother regardless of who his parents truly were." Arya said with a shrug.

"Well then, I do hope that we can become friends." She said, surprising Arya. "I love him and I intend to be a part of his life for some time so I'd like to at least get along with his family."

"Are you going to marry him then?" Arya asked. The queen looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I ask because you said you plan to be a part of his life for a while and marrying would also solve other problems. For one it would unite your claims to the throne so that it wouldn't be one against the other and you love each other so I don't think i'd be a hardship for the two of you to be married."

"If we were married the people would expect him to rule and me to sit next to him and look pretty as wives are expected to do for their husbands." She said.

"Change things then." Arya shrugged. "Get rid of the Iron Throne altogether and build new ones for a King and a Queen, side by side. I've heard you say you want to break the wheel your grace and this would be a start. Never in our history has Westeros had a rule where the king and queen had equal power so make it that way. You can't break the wheel in a day, it takes time to do that, but if you both had equal power it would be a start in showing the lords of Westeros that women can be more than bargaining chips or simpering little things only there to better their position in the world. On top of that, you and Jon both care deeply for your people, I think that together the two of you could make the world a better place for everyone not just the lords and ladies. It's something to think about at least."

"No, you're right. Changing the way things were done is what I've been trying to achieve for years and this could do just that. I will speak to Jon about all of what we've discussed here today and get his input on it." She said seriously before she studied Arya for a long moment. "From what your brother told me, you're the last person I expected to suggest a marriage alliance. He said you were always arguing against marriage since you learned what it meant."

"I was never against marriage. I was against the fact that I wouldn't have gotten a choice." Arya explained. "I know that if my father had lived, I'd likely have been married off by now to some lord I'd never met and I wouldn't have gotten a say in it at all. That's what I had a problem with. But this isn't that, you love him and he loves you so why not get married. Many highborns don't get the choice."

"I understand that." The queen said, meeting Arya's eyes once more. "I was married off once to a man I didn't know and though I came to love him, I do understand your point and I agree. Women, regardless of status, should be allowed to choose when and who they marry."

"Maybe that's something you can change." Arya said with a shrug.

"I'm sure I could." The queen said as she seemed to study Arya's face. "I will take your words into account and discuss things with Jon. I would ask that you keep what has transpired here to yourself until we work it out."

"Of course, your grace." Arya said as she stood from the seat, recognizing the dismissal for what it was.

She left the room as quickly as she had come even as thoughts swirled in her brain. She hoped that Jon wouldn't be angry at her for what she suggested but she knew he loved the queen so she hoped the proposal for a political marriage wouldn't blindside him. She knew he'd seek her out once the queen spoke to him and she hoped that she had something prepared to say to him when he did.

* * *

After her meeting with the queen, she had been planning on snagging something from the kitchens and taking it out to the forge to make sure Gendry took a break to eat during the day but she'd been waylaid by her sister who'd appeared from seemingly nowhere and dragged her up to the battlements. They stood together, looking out into the courtyard below them where Podrick and Brienne seemed to be braving the cold to do extra training. Arya knew that Brienne was planning on knighting Pod soon now that she could but she wanted to make sure he was ready for it, hence the extra training.

"Did you have a reason for bringing me up here or did you just want someone to stand silently in the snow alongside you so you didn't look like you were brooding like Jon?" She finally asked when her sister said nothing for a long time. Sansa's eyes turned to her and she raised an eyebrow.

"I heard an interesting rumor floating around the servants quarters today." She said pursing her lips. "Involving you and a certain blacksmith turned lord."

"The servants should mind their own damn business." Arya retorted. Sansa's eyebrow raised even higher.

"By your response I'm guessing they weren't far off?" Sansa asked.

"So what, are you going to lecture me? Is that what this is?" Arya asked, annoyed.

"No." Sansa said, her eyes turning back out to the courtyard. "I don't care much for propriety anymore, let them talk. I just wanted to check in with you about it."

"Check in with me?" Arya asked, hardly believing that prim proper little Sansa was telling her that she knew she had a man in her bed and didn't care that they weren't married. It was a bit of a shock to the system.

"I just wanted to ask you if it's something you want." Sansa said seriously, still not looking at Arya as she chewed on her lip. "If he's mistreating you, you know I won't hesitate to tell Jon. He'll have him executed."

Arya suddenly understood what this was about and she wanted to bring Ramsay Bolton back just so she could kill him all over again.

"It's nothing like that Sansa. He'd never do anything to hurt me." She said, her voice gentle. "He never does anything that I don't want him to do. I'm okay, I promise. If I wasn't okay with it, I'd have killed him myself already."

Sansa nodded, seeming to release a breath she'd been holding, even as she still chewed on her lip. She stared out at the courtyard for a long time as Arya watched her face. She was obviously battling with something in her mind so Arya waited patiently to see if her sister was going to speak to her about anything else when finally Sansa turned her whole body to face Arya.

"What's it like?" She asked, her voice soft and hesitant. "Being with a man because you want to."

"It's...." Arya sighed and glanced over at the forge. She couldn't see Gendry from where she was standing but knowing he was there was enough for her face to fall into a smile. "It's amazing. It doesn't have to be painful Sansa, I know that's all you've ever known, but it doesn't have to be that way. It can be a pleasurable experience."

"I don't know if I can ever let a man close to me in that way again." Sansa admitted.

"You don't have to." Arya assured her. "If you never want another man to touch you then they won't. You are the lady of Winterfell, you get to make your own choices, but if you ever do allow a man close to you I want you to know that you are in control. If you say no, then he should listen, and if he doesn't you should stab him in the balls."

"Arya!" Sansa let out a startled laugh.

"I'm not japing." Arya said. "If a man doesn't listen when you say no, he's not a man worth being with anyway. If you ever do let another man near you, make sure he is kind and courteous because that's what you deserve. You deserve someone good Sansa."

"Thank you for saying that Arya." Sansa said.

"It's just the truth." Arya returned. Sansa studied her face for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you love him?" She asked. "Lord Gendry."

Arya chewed on her lips as her gaze drifted back to the forge once more. "I think so."

"Good." Sansa said quietly. "You deserve a good man too."

They'd never been close when they were children but know Arya thought they had an understanding of one another. They'd both been through horrible things and had come out on the other side of it still standing. Both had lost parts of themselves throughout the years they'd spent apart and now with the understanding of what they both went through, they were closer than they'd ever been and despite it all Arya was glad for it. Family was the most important thing in the world. 


End file.
